Offender Risk Level Description

• High – Statistically the most likely to commit another sexual offense, high risk offenders have typically committed more than one offense, have refused to engage in sex offender treatment, or have engaged in behaviors that contribute to an elevated level of risk.
• Moderate – Moderate risk offenders score higher on actuarial tools than those in the low risk category, but may not constitute a significant threat to all members of the public. Community notification is "targeted" towards those who fall in a similar victim class as a previous victim of the offender.
• Low – Statistically the least likely to commit another sexual offense, low risk offenders have typically only committed one offense, have completed sexual offender treatment, or have been in the community for a number of years without reoffending.
• Not Applicable – Offenders against children, who have not committed a sexually-related offense, do not get assigned a risk level. There are no actuarial tools that predict recidivism for these offenders.
• Undetermined – To make use of the most accurate and current information, risk levels are not assigned until a few months prior to an offender’s release from prison. For offenders that come to North Dakota from another state or the federal prison system, it may take several weeks to gather the necessary records, assign the risk level, and provide the offender a due process hearing. Offenders whose risk level has not yet been assigned are classified as "undetermined".